Players who could be on the move at NHL trade deadline

With less than a week until the NHL's trade deadline, some players have been increasing their value. Others are making it difficult for management to move them. Here's a look at 10 players who could be on the move. (Postmedia Network/Wires)

Lars Eller, Montreal: While trade chip Dale Weise has increased his stock with three goals in his last eight games, Eller has managed two goals in last 14 games. His team-worst minus-14 rating will probably not help GM Marc Bergevin in finding a suitor. (Eric Bolte/USA TODAY Sports)

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Jiri Hudler, Calgary: Last year's Lady Byng winner, who led the Flames with 31 goals and 76 points, has come down to earth this season with nine goals and 34 points. But Hudler, who is a pending UFA, has increased his trade value lately with 10 points in his last 11 games. (Al Charest/Postmedia Network)

Al Charest/Postmedia

Andrew Ladd, Winnipeg: Though Ladd went without a goal and had just five points in January, he has been red-hot this month, with seven goals in 10 games. Either that increases his trade value or makes management reconsider parting ways with the Jets captain. (Brian Donogh/Postmedia Network)

Brian Donogh/Winnipeg Sun

Kyle Okposo, NY Islanders: Aside from a hat trick in an 8-1 blowout win against the Oilers on Feb. 7, the 27-year-old forward has gone 11 of last 12 games without scoring. Considering Okposo is a second-line forward who gets power-play time with John Tavares, those are disappointing numbers. (James Guillory/USA TODAY Sports)

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P.A. Parenteau, Toronto: Many thought Parenteau, who is second on the team with 15 goals and fourth with 30 points, would have been the first Leafs forward moved at the deadline. But with four goals and seven points in his last 10 games, the longer the Leafs wait the higher his value gets. (Craig Robertson/Postmedia Network)

Craig Robertson/Toronto Sun

Teddy Purcell, Edmonton: Purcell, who has 11 goals and 32 points, is on pace for his best offensive season in four years. And yet, with no goals in his last 12 games, GM Peter Chiarelli’s job of acquiring assets at the trade deadline continues to be a challenge. (Topher Seguin/Postmedia Network)

James Reimer, Toronto: (Craig Robertson/Postmedia Network)

Craig Robertson/Toronto Sun

Eric Staal, Carolina: The Carolina Hurricanes captain, who has 10 goals and 32 points, is on pace for his worst offensive season since he was a rookie. But his struggles have increased in the last month or so, with only one goal and four assists in his past 17 games. (James Guillory/USA TODAY Sports)

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Lee Stempniak, New Jersey: The trade deadline is nothing new to Stempniak, who is on his fifth team in the last three years. But that probably does not make it any easier. The Devils leading scorer, who is on pace for his first 20-goal season since 2006-07, has one goal in his last 10 games. (Charles LeClaire/USA TODAY Sports)

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Radim Vrbata, Vancouver: Vrbata had a breakout season as a 33-year-old last year, scoring 31 goals and 63 points on a line with the Sedins. But this year has been a struggle. His goal on Sunday was his first in the last 15 games, causing his trade value to mirror the Canucks' playoff hopes. (Charles LeClaire/USA TODAY Sports)

In 2012, the Maple Leafs famously went from being a playoff bubble team to an 18-wheeler careening off a cliff after losing eight of nine games at the trade deadline. The spectacular collapse — Toronto managed just six wins in its final 20 games — caused the former Leafs general manager to consider implementing a roster freeze that would kick in a week before the actual deadline, because of “how distracting it is.”

“We just had this discussion upstairs and I’m wondering if I have to do that here, because Clarke MacArthur has been traded 10 times, (Mikhail) Grabovski has been traded 12 times, Luke Schenn has been traded 50 times,” Burke said back then. “I think the trade deadline is hard on players, but I think it’s murder on players in Toronto.”

Burke, who is now the president of hockey operations for the Calgary Flames, never followed through with his deadline freeze, in part because he couldn’t afford to tie his hands on the busiest day of the year. But at least one GM is taking his advice.

Last week, Tampa Bay Lightning general manager Steve Yzerman released a statement promising Steven Stamkos would not be traded before the Feb. 29 deadline.

It was an interesting approach, considering that Stamkos is a pending unrestricted free agent whose contract negotiations have reportedly stalled. By taking him off the market, the team risks losing him for nothing at the end of the season. But with the daily rumours and uncertainty affecting Stamkos’ play — he had scored two goals in his past 14 games — Yzerman was more concerned with jeopardizing Tampa Bay’s chances of winning the Stanley Cup.

“I have said repeatedly that it is our hope to reach an agreement with Steven on a new contract at some point,” said Yzerman. “And with 27 games remaining in the season, our entire organization, Steven included, wants to focus on making the playoffs.”

Since then, Stamkos has responded with four goals and five points in five games. And the Lightning is on a four-game winning streak, now only three points behind the Florida Panthers for top spot in the Atlantic Division.

“I did the same thing with Ruslan Salei,” Burke said in a phone interview on Wednesday. “I remember his last year with us in Anaheim, we needed him if we were going to make any kind of noise in the playoffs … I remember driving from the airport saying: ‘Rusty, I’m not trading you. You’ll get the big deal this summer and we’ll help you. We’ll tell teams what a great defenceman you are and everything else. But we’re not trading you. We need you to make the run.’ And we went to the conference final that year.”

“They’re human beings. People forget they’re human beings and it affects them in different ways.”

With the trade deadline less than a week away, some players have raised their game to another level, knowing they are auditioning for a new team. Others simply aren’t themselves.

Calgary’s Jiri Hudler has 10 points in his past 11 games and New Jersey’s top scorer, Lee Stempniak, has one goal in his past 10. Winnipeg’s Andrew Ladd, who went without a goal in January, has scored seven times already this month. Toronto’s James Reimer, who headed into the all-star break with a .932 save percentage, has a measly .869 save percentage since then.

“I know probably a lot of people say it that it’s not on their mind and people don’t believe it, but for me it’s really not on my mind,” said Stempniak. “I look at it like I’m on a team that’s one point out of a playoff spot and we’ve got two huge games coming up. For me, the focus has been on winning some games and personally to contribute some offence.”

In Tampa, Stamkos is playing like someone just had a 200-pound weight lifted off his back. But in Carolina, Eric Staal is being crushed by the uncertainty of what the next few days have in store.

“I’d be lying to you if it hasn’t been on my mine or affecting me for a little bit now,” Staal, whose goal in a 3-1 win against the Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday was his first in 17 games, recently told reporters. “It wasn’t for a good portion of the year, but to be honest the last couple of weeks have been difficult.”

Thankfully, it is almost over. By March 1, Staal can relax and go about his business as usual, whether it is in Carolina or another city.

Of course, it’s only a matter of time before the rumours start up again.

“It is hard to deal with trade rumours, even harder when the trade rumours are away from the deadline,” said Burke. “When they’re happening in December, that’s really hard for the player to deal with. He’s like: ‘What the hell’s going on?’

“At this time of year, it’s kind of part of the job, like snow. You’re probably going to get snow and trade rumours. It’s the hard part of the business. My advice to players is: ‘Don’t listen to any of it; don’t read any of it.’ ”

With NHL trade deadline looming, pressure mounts on players

In 2012, the Toronto Maple Leafs famously went from being a playoff bubble team to an 18-wheeler careening off a cliff after losing eight of nine games at the trade deadline. The spectacular collapse — Toronto managed just six wins in its final 20 games — caused the former Leafs GM to consider implementing a roster freeze that would kick in a week before the actual deadline, because of “how distracting it is.”

“I think the trade deadline is hard on players,” Burke said back then, "but I think it's murder on players in Toronto.”

Burke, who is now the president of hockey operations for the Calgary Flames, never followed through with his deadline freeze, in part because he couldn’t afford to tie his hands on the busiest day of the year. But at least one GM is taking his advice.